Hair Tips Anyone With Oily Hair Should Know
Anyone who struggles with oily hair knows that it can feel like the bane of your existence. Plans have to be calculated around your hair wash days, and you have to strategically consider how to style your hair each day depending on how oil-inducing your plans are. If your oily hair is really excessive, then you're likely familiar with that dread of waking up the day after a hair wash to find it already greasing up.
Oily hair can put such a strain on your day-to-day life, yet it's something you can't just magically get rid of. You're probably repeatedly told how lucky you are, as people with dry hair feel like their locks are impossible to hydrate. We all hope for that elusive Goldilocks of hair types that's just right, don't we? Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks to help people with oily hair get as close to that dream as possible.
While there's no cure-all solution to transform your natural hair type, there's a lot you can do (or stop doing) to keep your oiliness in check.
Perfect your oily hair shower routine
As with any hair woe, the fix begins in the shower. Oily hair types have to pay close attention to certain details during their hair wash to ensure their hair stays oil-free as long as possible. Before you even hop into the shower, though, you have to figure out when the best time to wash your hair is in the first place. According to Bustle, a great greasy hair hack is to try to prolong the time between each wash as much as possible. Invest in a solid dry shampoo to buy you an extra day or two.
The problem with becoming an avid dry shampooer, though, is the product buildup, so this next step is extra important: Find the right shampoo that's going to keep your oils in check. Famous hairstylist Iain Sallis explained to Glamour how important it is to avoid any shampoo with the words "dry," "damaged," "smoothing," or "glossy," as these products will only increase the greasy look of your hair. Purifying or clarifying shampoos are best to keep oils at bay.
Once you have your perfect shampoo, lather away. Double-shampoo is a method that can help clear up any product buildup and really help reduce oil. You could even switch out your shampoo for a scalp scrub or apple cider vinegar rinse every once in a while to get a deep clean, per Bustle. Finish off with your conditioner or hair mask — but it's imperative to avoid applying any to your roots!
Post-shower tips to keep the oils at bay
Now that you have your hair washed and treated correctly, you may have earned yourself a longer window, but oiliness can also be caused by how you treat your dried hair. You can undo your hard work so quickly if you don't watch how you style your hair.
To begin with, it's best to avoid touching your hair, as transferring natural oils from your fingertips to your hair is the quickest way to make your hair oilier. That's why it's generally best to try to have your hair up, keeping it out of your face and keeping your roots oil-free for longer, per Byrdie.
Unfortunately, oily hair looks ten times oilier ten times quicker when your hair is straight. That's why hair experts recommend avoiding wearing your hair straight and going for a curly or wavy look instead, just to be safe.
The way you brush your hair before styling it is actually another tip to keep your hair less oily. Boar bristle brushes work amazingly well to help distribute your hair's natural oils along the lengths of your hair, which is where the oils are actually needed (via Function of Beauty). Follow these tips and tricks, and you'll have oil-free hair in no time!